Berkshire Yoga Festival 2024

Please bring a strap and mat. Yoga blocks optional.

The power of human touch is profound. An intelligent, informative hands on assist has the potential to be an incredible teaching tool. There is also a big responsibility that comes along with putting your hands on someone else’s body. You must be well trained, careful, conscientious, and without negative intent.
Kula has always been known as a studio where you will find plenty of hands on assists. This teachers intensive will look closely at how/when/and why to touch, and when there are other more effective ways to assist a student.  It will teach you how to use intelligent touch as a teaching tool and how to use your body as another way to communicate with your students in a supportive environment.

A Slow Therapeutic Flow that centers self-discovery, shedding old patterns and embracing the inherent truth of who we are.  Begins with a 15-20 min talk followed by Asana, Pranayama, Meditation. 

Yogas citta vrtti nirodhah: yoga is the cessation of the modifications, or fluctuations, of the mind. In vedantic philosophy, every thought (vritti) leaves a “groove” or impression in the mind. Who we are, our habits, perspectives and attitudes are shaped by our environment and life experiences. In modern science, we understand this phenomenon as neuroplasticity. Yoga gives us the power to disrupt habituated patterns, effectively rewiring our brain.

Have you ever wondered why yoga makes you feel the way you do? How does a practice we do on a mat make an imprint on how we live our lives?
In this 90-minute lecture, you’ll explore the relationship between yoga and neuroscience, providing you with a new understanding of the power of yoga.
Lauren Turner, a trauma-informed yoga instructor and founder of 501(c)3 Warrior Within Yoga Project, will introduce you to the fundamentals of brain anatomy, the orchestration of the stress response, and what exactly is happening in the brain when we practice yoga.
Discussing the neurobiology of asana, pranayama and meditation, you will learn ways how to assimilate evidence-based practices that work with the nervous system, into your own practice or teaching.
A digital download, highlighting key take-aways will be provided to participants.

In a yoga class, one of the first opportunities for students to connect with their teacher is through a shared “OM” but how often do we pay as much attention to the details of this sound as we do to the nuance of asana? Leslie will deconstruct the phonetics of this complex, resonant, sacred vibration with a review of the phonetic map of the mouth embedded in the Sanskrit alphabet. He will lead students in a simple chanting practice to blend exploration of the relationship between sound, physical support and movement.

Self-myofascial release (SMFR) has mass appeal from multiple spaces within the wellness fields. Learn the newest evidence to support the use of SMFR for your own personal practice and classes. This workshop provides you with a simple and effective self-myofascial release tool to help you erase pain, improve mobility, build embodied awareness and prevent injuries. This workshop will increase your knowledge of your body as you learn to navigate multiple connective tissues. You’ll learn 9 rolling techniques that can support every area of your body. We will rollout using a best practices approach to relieve emotional stress and improve whole body coordination and function. Help your body awaken, move, feel and heal.

In this entertaining talk, Manoj illuminates Hanuman’s journey in the Ramayana and will relate it to the archetypical Hanuman energy within you. Like Hanuman we can access super human powers of wisdom, strength and service alongside deep humility and “move big Boulders”.  Learn how awakening this energy leads to explosive transformation, both within and in the outside world, be it spiritual, personal or professional.

In parallel, Manoj will guide us with stories and symbolisms of the Ramayana through the lens of Advaita Vedanta philosophy; where Lord Ram is an avatar of Consciousness (Higher Self of formless), Sita is us (lower self in form) and Hanuman is the uniter of us to Consciousness.

Learning to handstand is a process, abundant with discovery and amazement. Whether this is your first inversion workshop or you are well versed in the art of handstands, brace yourself as we delve into alignment, work toward mastery of the shoulder girdle, and explore acrobatic principles so you can build confidence and manifest a greater sense of balance. You will learn exercises that unify body and mind to create a solid foundation for a lifetime of standing on your hands. As a group we will create a safe and transformative space that will be appropriate and for all levels of practice. Take your handstand practice to the next level!

1-2 Blocks Highly recommended.

While I will never say “stretching is bad” (because it isn’t), there’s plenty of access to opening the body in this way within the yoga world. This class will tackle strength and stability, and while it won’t be a conditioning class, you will learn ways to create strength in your muscles and stability in your joints that you can apply to your current yoga practice, vinyasa or otherwise. It’s a modern approach to sthira sukha asana: strong but not rigid, pliable but not without stable boundaries. You will still flow! These workshop ideas will be taught within the context of a Kula Flow (vinyasa) structure.

Join DJ Taz Rashid for a workshop on how to build a yoga music playlist. Learn how to breakdown your classes in a simple way, and easily build your favorite music into any practice whether it’s a high intensity vinyasa, or a mellow yin, restorative class or to your personalized yoga style.
DJ Taz will show you how to hone your instinctive listening and intuitive teaching skills to "mix beats" and make smooth transitions throughout your classes. Taking the time to focus on developing the role of music in your yoga classes allows you to feel more confident about how music is enhancing your teaching, while you can expand and use your music library more efficiently. Any teacher can build her unique sound with compelling music that enhances the practice, inevitably attracting a larger student following.  Highly recommended for teachers but anyone can attend.

The revolution begins within!
We have work to do, and the time is NOW for all of us to wake up and do what needs to be done to create a world that is just, fair, free, equal, safe, happy, healthy, and peace-filled for ALL beings everywhere. 
Following some of the practical and spiritual guidelines from my book, Revolution of the Soul, join me for this unique class and unpack how the inside/out work of personal transformation can change both ourselves and the world we live and share. 
In this class, we will explore our evolution, the work we do on ourselves that inspires growth, and our revolution, the work we do in the world to create social change. 
Understanding that our evolution is the revolution, the class will begin with a dharma talk, followed by a powerful and thought-provoking practice that includes pranayama, asana, and meditation while applying spiritual context to re-frame personal narratives and connecting sacred texts to modern circumstances. 
This unique embodied practice, coupled with deep reflection, can help shift our limiting beliefs and reaffirm our commitment to healing our relationship with ourselves, Spirit, this planet, and each other…  all in the name of peace.
That’s a revolution worth loving for!

Immerse yourself in the harmonious flow of movement and sound. As we warm up the spine, move through our sun salutations, invigorating sequences and grounding postures, the vibrations of 432Hz music will serve as a gentle guide, freeing blocked energy and facilitating a deeper connection with the natural rhythm of the universe. Known for its resonance with the Earth's vibrational patterns, the 432Hz frequency provides a soothing and expansive backdrop, allowing you to release tension, cultivate inner peace, and elevate your practice to new heights. Together, we'll create a space where you can let go, rejuvenate, and embrace the radiant energy within.

This class is presented in partnership of studio partnerm SWEAT Power Yoga.

Now that the ascent of yoga into the mainstream has long since peaked and we are on the other side of the paradigm shattering years of the pandemic, yoga teachers have been left in quandary about how to navigate the new landscape. 

In this panel discussion, we will hear from teachers who have been witness to the evolution of yoga in the west about what their experiences have been and where they see things going.

This workshop is geared for yoga teachers or fitness professionals who work with individuals in group-class or one-on-one settings.
One of the main goals of yoga is to improve the flow of prana (energy or life-force) in the body. We use yoga asanas to help improve prana flow. Sometimes our students can’t access that state in their postures due to many factors.  A kind and compassionate hands-on-assist can facilitate the flow energy in the body by:

• providing stability 
• creating grounding
• creating space in the body
• helping improve breath. 

In this hands-on experiential workshop, we will learn the four main principles that will take your hands-on-assists to the next level and help your students experience postures in a whole new way.
We will learn to recognise when and where prana is restricted in the body in various asanas and learn the methods in which we can help improve prana flow with hands-on-assists. When prana is unlocked, the students can experience each pose in a more enjoyable, beneficial as well as more safe manner.
We will discuss student consent, approach, as well as how to use your hands with kindness and compassion for the health and wellness of your students. All of us are healers, we just need to fine-tune our senses and learn the power of our healing touch.

Brought to you by Studio Partner, Coolidge Corner Yoga

Join us in this final celebration of life, health, and spirit as we join together in song on the main stage. We will offer mantras of gratitude to all the teachers of the teachers of the teachers of yoga that have led us on this path... All the way back to the supreme teacher residing in the center of your chest as the real true self.